Running Windows updates might be inconvenient, but it’s important. Here’s why you should check your updates are set to automatically install, what those updates are and how often you can expect them. All your Windows update questions answered!
We get it. You’re in a hurry to produce a document for your team and all of a sudden, your computer wants to run an update to the operating system. At best it’s inconvenient. But if you’re on deadline, it really can be a pain, and stressful, to break off from the work you’re doing when you’re under pressure to produce output.
It’s true that not all Windows updates will make a great deal of difference to your working. You’ll hardly even be able to tell they’ve happened. But they’re important nevertheless. Many updates are not just about making processes better for the user, they are about fixing the vulnerabilities discovered in the system found to have been cracked by hackers. Without these fixes, to patch up those vulnerabilities, Windows is vulnerable and you leave yourself open to potential cyber harm at the hands of those hackers.
Some Windows updates are also about repairing malfunctioning bits of code. But whatever the nature of the updates, Microsoft prides itself on being able to issue these fix and repair updates to its users. With around a billion devices around the globe running Windows 10, you have to admit it’s an efficient means of getting everyone updated, provided each user lets the updates run.
Agreed however, they don’t always arrive at a convenient time.
Don’t my Windows updates happen automatically?
Most Windows updates will happen automatically if you’ve allowed this to happen in Settings > Update & Security. But you can pause updates too, and this is not recommended as good practice, due to the vulnerabilities you are leaving yourself open to and the fact you may miss important fixes. Check in Update & Security in your Settings to ensure you haven’t paused updates.
Manually checking if you need to update
A good habit to get into is for you to check you don’t just need to run an update anyway. (A good idea for all your software, not just Windows.)
Maybe you could check when you’ve finished a work session and don’t need your computer again for a while. Just go to Settings and you’ll be able to see straight away under Windows Update whether you have any updates waiting.
What are these updates anyway?
If you want to see exactly what each update contains, you can visit the Microsoft Support section of their website where all the Windows updates are listed in detail.
Put simply, we can tell you that Windows feature updates come from Microsoft around every six months. But your operating system will check every day for any routine updates, which usually come out on the second Tuesday of each month; called ‘Patch Tuesday’.
What happens if I don’t update?
As soon as there is a vulnerability – an area been found to be hacked – a fix is required. If you don’t install the update you’re supplied with on time, you are inviting the unpleasant potential for loss or theft of your data and personal information.
If you’re a business, you’re also risking the personal and financial information of your customers and colleagues.
Don’t forget
You can always schedule updates to take place outside of your working hours, to minimise disruption to work. But if an update is critical it’s best to run it without delay – which you can catch by manually checking your Settings.
Got a question about Windows 10, or Windows 10 updates? Your friendly Cultrix support team are here and ready to support you.
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